Jewish Life & Learning
Hadar DC: Shir HaShirim Through Melody and Midrash
Adults (18+)Date : Wednesday, Mar 18
Time :
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location : Milton Gottesman School
6045 16th Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia
6045 16th Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia
Join the EDCJCC and Hadar for a monthly community beit midrash, where we’ll dive into the texts behind the holidays of Sukkot, Purim, Pesach, and more. Free to attend and open to adults of all backgrounds.
Traditionally chanted on Shabbat over Pesah, the poetry of Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs) explores the literal devotion of two lovers and the metaphorical intimacy between God and Israel. Equal parts musical exploration and text study, join R. Deborah Sacks Mintz and R. Avi Strausberg as we put these evocative verses in conversation with their melodies. Together, we will dig one layer deeper into the communal song and midrashic imagery that define this sacred love song.
Snacks will be served.
Free to register, but RSVP is required.
About the Instructors:
Rabbi Avi Strausberg is the Senior Director of National Learning Initiatives at Hadar and is based in Washington, DC. Previously, she served as the Director of Congregational Learning of Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College in Boston and holds a Masters in Jewish Education. Avi is most grateful for her wife, Chana, and three children, Ori, Niv, and Amit.
An educator and practitioner of Jewish communal music, Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz supports those who seek a deepened practice of empowered prayer and song. A celebrated composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist, Deborah has collaborated on over two dozen records with a diverse array of voices in the Jewish soundscape, including her own albums: The Narrow and the Expanse (2020), Yetzira (2023), and Songs from the Beit Midrash (2026). Deborah serves on the faculty of the Hadar Institute as Director of Tefillah and Music.
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